Brandy
by LabradoriteHeart
Summary: A short story based on lyrics from the song 'Brandy' by Looking Glass. Shanks has fallen in love with a woman from Fusha village, but he can't bring himself to leave his romance with the sea behind. It's a tough decision, but it's one that the pirate captain needs to make.


_'There's a port on a Western bay, and it serves one hundred ships a day.  
Lonely sailors pass the time away, and talk about their homes.'_

The Red-Haired pirates made their way to the harbour of a small town and began boarding their ship, the Red Force, carrying barrels and crates with them as they went. They had stopped off for a couple of days at one of the islands during their adventures on the Red Line and were now heading back out to sea to continue on with their voyage.

The small town reminded Shanks of somewhere that was close to his heart; a small place called Fusha village. Not only had that been the first time he had met Monkey D. Luffy, who had only been a small boy at that time, but he had also met someone else; someone who he'd not stopped thinking about since the day that they had left to continue with one with their adventures sailing the seas.

They were all set up on the ship now, and just as the crew drew the anchor and began to set off, Lucky Roo turned to the red-haired pirate who was still busy reminiscing and raised a bottle of sake in the air.

"Hey Cap'n! Let's have a drink!" He called out, shaking the man out of his daydream.

They had picked up a few crates of liquor during their visit, so they had plenty on board to last them a long while. Which was a good thing, as the whole crew consisted of men who weren't exactly light drinkers.

Shanks gave a beaming smile and nodded to his crewmate. "How could I say no? It's been a while since we've had a party together, let's do it!"

"Yeah!" Ben Beckman, who had been listening in, called out enthusiastically as he began to fill up a stein glass with sake from one of the already open kegs. "You heard the Cap'n! Crack open the barrels!"

The crew was never one to turn down a chance to drink, so everyone gathered around on the deck, helping themselves to the assortment of alcoholic beverages that they had only just purchased.

"We can use this to make a toast." Beckman added, and Shanks smiled at the suggestion.

They had just received news on the whereabouts of Luffy and the rest of the Strawhat crew, and Shanks felt a sense of pride rush over him as he saw that the boy's bounty had grown even more, and also because the boy still proudly wore the same Strawhat that he had given him many years ago.

He missed the little rascal, and he thought back to the fond memories from that year that the Red-Haired pirates had spent in Fusha village, where they had grown so close to many of the residents that lived there, despite being pirates.

"To Luffy!" Beckman shouted as he raised a toast, and Shanks raised his glass too in response before gulping down a mouthful of sake.

" _To Luffy_!" The rest of the crew echoed harmoniously as they too drank to the memories of the young boy.

"To my boy Usopp!" Yasopp added proudly, holding up his son's new wanted poster, which displayed an astoundingly high bounty for someone who had not previously had one.

" _To Usopp_!" The crew resonated, once again drinking a toast to the fellow pirate.

"And to our families at home…" Shanks added, lifting his glass one more time.

Yasopp had left his wife and son back home on Syrup Village many years ago when he first became a pirate, and many of the other crew members also had people they loved back at home.

Shanks didn't have anyone like that, but he understood that it must have been a tough decision for them, leaving their family behind in exchange for a life of piracy.

Or, at least he hadn't, until he met Makino back in Fusha village.

He felt a smile appear on his face as he thought back to his memories of her, remembering how he had first met the barmaid, and how they had grown so close in such a short amount of time.

He had visited her for a second time, almost 5 years ago during his trip back to the East Blue, but it was only a short stay for the crew and he missed her dearly. Meeting her had changed everything, and Shanks finally understood how his crewmates felt.

The crew made their final toast to honour their families, and then continued to pour themselves another drink. The romance of adventure was something they all adored, but it wasn't without sacrifice; they had all had to say their farewells to their homelands and leave their loved ones behind in order to follow their dreams of sailing the sea.

 _'And there's a girl in this harbour town, and she works laying whiskey down.  
They say, "Brandy, fetch another round"; she serves them whiskey and wine.'_

Meanwhile, in a small bar in Fusha Village Makino was busy at work while her child played outside.

She looked out the window at her son, then glanced over to Shanks' wanted poster, which she kept behind the bar beside Luffy, Ace and Sabo's ones, all proudly set up on display.

The four-year-old who was playing outside shared Shanks' brilliant red hair and carefree personality, and he had grown up in many ways to resemble both his father and Luffy too. It comforted her, having her boy around; he was everything she treasured and more. He was a reminder of Shanks' love for her and he filled her with the joy that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Makino smiled to herself as she headed into the back room to put some glasses away, and as she did, her son came rushing in, making a ruckus as he climbed up beside the bar.

"Mum! Come here!" He shouted excitedly and upon hearing his call Makino came out into the main part of the bar in a hurry, carrying a set of glasses in her arms.

"What's wrong Ace?" She asked, looking around cautiously for any sign of bandits. But there was no one else around besides the boy who was proudly holding up a newspaper.

"Dad's in the paper!" He yelled eagerly, waving around the article about the Emperor of the sea.

She giggled with relief, setting the glasses down on the worktop before taking a seat beside Ace. She lifted him onto her lap, smiling at the news and feeling reassured after seeing that Shanks was safe.

She never once kept it a secret from him, who his father was. She was proud to say that her boy was the son of a pirate, because Shanks, pirate or no pirate, was the most kind-hearted person she had ever met.

"That's great sweetie! Can I have a look?" She asked the boy, and he nodded as he passed it to her.

She placed the paper down and began to read about her lover's most recent adventure, however she had only gotten a few lines into the story as the bell above the front door chimed, and a group of locals entered the bar.

"Hey Makino!" One of the men greeted her, and upon hearing their voices the barmaid placed the paper down on the counter and looked up at them, smiling welcomingly.

Ace jumped down off of her lap and Makino got up, making her way over to the bar as her son followed behind her.

"What can I get you guys?" She asked as she turned to grab four of the recently washed glasses from the shelf behind her, and Ace climbed up onto one of the barstools to watch her.

"Three whiskeys on the rocks and a glass of wine please." One of them spoke, and then once the order had been made he turned to his friends as the four of them engaged in casual conversation.

"Can I help?" Ace asked as he watched his mother make the first drink, and Makino smiled.

"Sure sweetie, but you need to be careful with them, okay?" Makino replied, bringing the bottle and a glass over to the counter where he was sat.

"Right, so first we need to put two ice cubes in the glass. This is what we refer to as 'whiskey on the rocks'."

"Rocks?" He echoed as he copied her, placing two ice cubes into the second glass. "As in, big stones?"

"Uh huh, I'm not exactly sure where it came from myself, but it's a saying that has been around for a very long time." She explained as she picked up the bottle and held the first of the two glasses in place. "I've heard that a long time ago, when there was no ice around people used to use cold rocks to chill their drinks instead. But I'm not sure how accurate that story is. It could just be made up." She replied with a giggle, noticing the confused look that appeared on the young boy's face.

"That's gross! I wouldn't want rocks in my drink…" Ace muttered before turning his attention to the glass in front of him. "What now?"

"Right, just very gently tip the end upwards… I'll hold it in place for you because it's quite heavy, okay?"

"Okay…" Ace nodded, and Makino made sure to position the whiskey bottle so that when he tilted it, it would fill the glass without spilling any of it's contents anywhere.

He did as she told him and slowly lifted up the bottom end of the bottle, and he watched as the amber coloured liquid filled the glass.

 _'The sailors say; "Brandy, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be.  
Yeah, your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea."…'_

"Well done Ace, that's brilliant…" Makino praised him as she gently ruffled her young child's red hair, and the boy beamed happily.

"Thanks Mum! I'm going to work in a bar like you one day! Maybe even on a pirate ship!" He replied, and Makino smiled as she repeated the process with the last two drinks.

"Oh? Well then I know you'll be the best little barman around." She chimed happily as she gathered the drinks onto a tray and began serving them up to the group of men that were still sat at their table, merrily chatting amongst themselves.

"Here you go, three whiskeys on the rocks and a glass of wine." The barmaid declared as she placed the drinks down in front of them, and the locals thanked her as they took their own.

"Thanks Makino, here, keep the change okay? Buy yourself and Ace something nice." The first guy said as he handed her the money, and another nodded in agreement as Makino thanked them all sincerely, placing the money into one of the pockets in her dress.

"You're really good with that kid, you know. It's a shame that his father isn't around, he's missing out on a lot…" Another added, before taking a sip of his drink. "After all, there's nothing more important than seeing your own child grow up; I'd hate for him to look back on all these years with regret."

Makino smiled politely and shook her head. "We do miss him, but he loves adventure. He was born to sail the sea and become a great pirate, so he's just following his dream."

She gave a sad smile as she looked down at her hands. "It would be cruel of us to make him stay here…"

"We're proud of Dad! He's an Emperor of the Sea!" Ace added as he listened in on the conversation.

The boy was observant; he understood a lot for his age and he never once resented his father for not being around. If anything, he was delighted whenever he got the chance to talk about him.

The second man chuckled, smiling into his glass. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. If a man chooses to follow the romance of adventure, I guess his path is set no matter what happens along the way."

One of the men that had been silent until now decided to speak up after finishing his glass of wine. "You'd make a good wife to that man though, Makino. Y'know, if he ever does decide to settle down. Maybe when his adventure is over he'll come back here again."

Makino couldn't help herself from having a small amount of hope that one day, that dream would become a reality. She wished that one day he would return, and they could be together officially, but at the same time she didn't want to wish away his dream.

She knew that, although it pained her, he would be happier out at sea than he would be at home with her. She loved him, and that was the reason she had to let him go.

Makino returned to the bar, sitting down to read the paper again. It was all good news; some rookie pirate had tried to test their skills against him in battle, but the Red-Haired pirates had easily bested them.

The crew all seemed well, and she smiled as she looked at the collection of faces of the men that she hadn't seen for so long. It brought back so many memories.

A few minutes after Makino had finished reading the article, the four men had finished their drinks and were beginning to make their way out of the bar.

"Thanks for the drink!" Once of them called back to her as they headed to the exit, and Makino smiled as she watched them go.

"Any time, I hope you have a good evening!" She replied, waving to them as she got up to collect the discarded glasses up off the table.

 _'Brandy wears a braided chain, made of finest silver from the North of Spain.  
A locket that bears the name of the man that Brandy loved."_

The Red Force sailed calmly across the waters as Shanks and his crew finished their drinks. A few hours had passed since they had started their celebrations, and now they were in a highly intoxicated state as they lounged about on the deck, the excited chatter that had once been present now dimmed down significantly to a much more quiet and relaxed atmosphere.

Some of the crew had even fallen asleep on the floor, and those that were not quite at that point yet were talking amongst themselves in incoherent mumbles.

"You're quiet over there, Cap'n, what's going through that skull of yours eh?" Lucky Roo asked curiously in a slurred voice as he sat himself down beside his friend.

Shanks looked up and gave him a beaming smile, his cheeks flushed the same colour as his hair due to the effect of the alcohol.

"Oh not much." He uttered dismissively with a wave of his hand. But as soon he said that he suddenly turned to Lucky Roo, a glimmer in his eyes as he spoke. "Hey, do you remember all the good times we had back in Partys bar?"

"Eh? You mean that little place on that island in East Blue where we met young Luffy?" He asked, his memory a blur. "Yeah I guess it was pretty good thinking back on it, but what makes you bring it up now?"

"I miss the place, don't you?" Shanks asked curiously as he leaned back against an unopened keg of sake and rested his arm behind his head.

"Eh, it's all a distant memory at this point." His crewmate shrugged off, but the captain wasn't so ready to drop the subject.

"Still, I wonder how Makino's doing…" Shanks muttered, as he thought about the brief time they spend together, five years ago.

Shanks had told his crew that he planned on staying in Fusha Village for two nights while they were searching for an island that they knew was located somewhere in the east blue, and they didn't really question their captain's decision at the time. They had all made it their temporary home for a year and had all to some extent grown attached to it. Some more than others.

Shanks had spent those two days and two nights with Makino, and they were inseparable during that time. They spent every minute together, and during that time he had given her a necklace which had a heart-shaped locket attached, with both of their names engraved into it.

He had gotten it from a skilled jeweller he had met whilst out at sea, and he gave it to her whilst telling her stories of treasure ships and pirates that they had met along the way, updating her on all of the things he had seen since his last visit to the island.

She listened to him excitedly as he talked, as she had always loved his stories and she never got tired of listening to him talk.

The two stayed up late that night, being the only two in the bar, and as the night drew to a close she asked him if he would stay the night with her.

That was their last night together.

"That girl again? Jeez Shanks." Lucky Roo chuckled, and Shanks playfully pushed him away.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with missing someone, have a heart dude." Shanks protested, but there was a smile forming across his face.

"You sure are an emotional drunk alright." His shipmate laughed with a roll of his eyes and Shanks laughed.

"Better to be the emotional drunk than the boring drunk!" He shot back, earning a chuckle from a few other crewmates who had been listening in on the conversation.

 _'He came on a summer's day, bringing gifts from far away.  
He made it clear that he couldn't stay; no harbour was his home.'_

It was getting late now, and Makino had just finished putting Ace to bed as she returned to her own room next door.

It was quiet now that he was settled, and she stifled a yawn as she shut her curtains before beginning to get undressed. As she did so, she felt the cold feeling of metal brush against her bare skin and she looked down, gently clutching at the necklace that was draped around her neck.

' _Shanks & Makino' _It read, and she smiled as she ran her fingers over the letters, remembering the time that he had given it to her.

She couldn't believe it at first when he had returned all those years ago. She'd thought she was seeing things when she noticed him coming down the path from the docks, but there he was, carrying a small box in his hand as he made his way over to her, looking slightly more rugged than she last remembered but handsome nonetheless.

She remembered how happy she had been to see him again, but her happiness was short lived when she found out that he could only stay for a mere forty-eight hours before the crew returned to pick him up.

Looking back on it, she would have thought that the whole thing was a dream, and that it hadn't really happened if it wasn't for the two gifts that he had given her. She still had the two reminders of his trip back right there with her; the necklace, and her son.

Makino gave a quiet sigh as she put on her nightgown and got into bed, thoughts of Shanks filling her mind as she rested her head on the pillow.

He had never even met little Ace, and she felt terrible for it. He was completely unaware, not knowing that he even had a son.

She wished she could get in touch with him somehow, but she didn't even know his whereabouts, and she couldn't leave the village even if she did know where he was.

"Mum..?" A quiet voice spoke, bringing Makino out of her daze. Ace was stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Ace, what's wrong?" Makino asked, sitting up. "Are you alright?"

"Nothing's wrong, I… I just can't sleep…" He mumbled in response, looking down at the floor.

"Come here Sweetie…" His mother patted the bed beside her, and he sighed as he walked over to the bed and climbed up, hugging her.

"Is there something on your mind?" She asked, and he let out a quiet sniffle.

"I'm worried about Dad…" He whimpered quietly, and Makino stroked his hair soothingly.

"Dad will be fine, he's one of the strongest pirates out there…"

"B-but what if one of the other Emperors go after him…?" He asked in a quiet whine.

Makino didn't know what to say in response to that. His fear wasn't all that irrational after all, and deep down she was worried for his safety too. She couldn't promise the boy that everything would be okay, because in all honesty she didn't know if it would.

Sure, Shanks was powerful, but anything could happen out there at sea.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" Makino offered, hoping that it would at least put the boy's worries to rest for now. She didn't know how else she could help distract him and she wished she could do more, but that was all she could think to do.

"Yes please…" Ace nodded, giving her a small smile in response. "Do you have any more stories from Dad? I want to hear about his adventures some more…"

 _'The sailors say; "Brandy, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be.  
But my life, my love and my lady, is the sea."…'_

The last remaining crew members that were not already unconscious on the main deck had decided to make their way into their cabins by now. The main deck was getting uncomfortably cold as the sea air brought a frigid chill to the normally tolerable evening weather, and even their captain had returned to his own room, finally getting ready to call it a night.

Shanks' head was more than a little bit cloudy by now as the copious amounts of sake and whiskey that he had consumed flowed through his system, but he managed to take the majority of his clothes off before he gave up trying, throwing them into a corner and flopping down onto his bed.

"Makino…" He mumbled into his pillow with a sigh as he thought about the girl's warm smile and delicate features. He couldn't stop the memories of her from coming back, and before he knew it she had filled his mind entirely.

He couldn't deny that Lucky Roo was right; he sure was an emotional drunk. But he didn't care. He just wanted to see her again as soon as possible.

His mind began to wonder, thinking about what the young barmaid could be doing now after all this time.

Would she be happy to see him if he came back, or would she be mad that he had left her and not returned for so long? Would she even acknowledge their past if they saw each other again? Had she moved on? After all, it had been five years. He couldn't expect her to wait for him like that.

All those questions filled the pirate captain's thoughts as he imagined every scenario in his head, mulling over each possibility. He couldn't help but wonder if she ever thought about him, and if he occupied her mind even slightly while she plagued his every second of every day.

Part of him hoped she did think of him and that she missed him as much as he missed her, but another part of him hoped that she had found happiness elsewhere, because although the thought of her being with someone else pained him, he knew it was cruel of him to wish a life of loneliness on her just because he couldn't bring himself to leave his dreams of becoming a great pirate behind.

He let out a quiet yawn, getting distracted from his thoughts as he realised how late it was. He pulled the quilt up over his head and rolled over onto his side, his eyes suddenly feeling heavy as an overwhelming tiredness washed over him.

He didn't even realise he was falling asleep, but within a few seconds he had succumbed to his alcohol induced slumber, snoring quietly in the isolated cabin.

 _'Brandy used to watch his eyes as he told his sailor stories.  
She could feel the ocean fall and rise, she saw it's raging glory.'_

"Your Father once sailed with the King of the pirates, did you know that?" Makino spoke with a smile, and Ace looked up at her in awe.

"Woah! Really?!" He gasped in response, and Makino giggled with a nod.

"Uh huh, that's what he told me a long time ago, before you were born."

"Wow… He knew the king of the pirates…"

"He didn't just know him, he was part of his crew." She added, and Ace paused for a minute to process all of that information. He knew that Shanks was strong, but he had never imagined that he had been on Gol D. Roger's ship. "He was a young boy like you when he joined."

"So does that mean he knows the secret about One Piece?" He asked curiously, and Makino shrugged.

"It's possible, but your father would never say. I think to him, that would ruin the adventure." She mused. She had never asked Shanks about the One Piece, but now that Ace brought it up, it seemed reasonable to assume that Shanks new more about it than she'd ever thought.

"Dad's so cool…" Ace breathed, barely able to convey the amount of admiration he had for his father. "I wish I could be as cool as him one day."

"You already are as cool as him Sweetie..." Makino replied with a smile, stroking his hair soothingly. "You're so much like him, you have his fighting spirit and kind heart inside of you."

"But I want to do all the amazing things he can do! Like sink evil ships and fend away baddies!" He exclaimed as he stood up on the bed, punching the air as he imagined what it would be like to be part of a legendary pirate crew.

His mother giggled at his childhood innocence, but she shook her head in response.

"Being a pirate's not all fun and games silly, it's dangerous, and you have to go through a lot of hard times before you get to where you father is now." Makino warned.

She felt bad for breaking it to him at such a young age, but after the death of Portgas D. Ace and hearing about all of the dangers that Luffy had faced, she was afraid of letting her own child go out to sea too.

"I know Mum…" Ace muttered, sitting down beside her. "But, what if I train really hard and become strong, Just like those three pirates in the posters behind the bar?"

Makino smiled. She'd never specifically told him about Ace, Sabo and Luffy, but the boy had caught on quick, aware that they were important to her.

"If that is your dream, I can't stop you from perusing it…" She replied, before pausing for a second. "But in order for you to be big and strong, you'll need a good night's sleep first. You can't be a pirate if you're tired."

"Mum…" Ace groaned but Makino shook her head.

"Off to bed, come on." She replied, kissing him on the forehead.

 _'But he had always told the truth, he was such an honest man.  
And Brandy tries her best to understand.'_

The next morning, Shanks awoke to find that the majority of his crew were still passed out on the floor from their festivities the night before. As he left his cabin and noticed that they were all still there, the captain gave a small smile to himself.

He was glad he had such a loyal crew; they were like family to him after all.

"Hey cap'n, not nursing a hangover yet?" Beckman asked as he passed him a glass of water, which Shanks took with a chuckle.

"No, surprisingly not. I guess I can take my alcohol a lot better than the rest of you." He replied, before downing the drink in one go.

"That's debatable. You were a mess last night, moping like a child and talking about the ' _good old times'_." Lucky Roo teased as he began adjusting the sails. "You wouldn't even think you were the same man from the way you act when you've had a drink."

"Hey, we don't talk about what I say when I'm drunk, okay?" Shanks warned, but there was a playful smirk on his face as he walked across the deck.

"So where are we headed?" Rockstar asked curiously as he made his way out of the cabin, and the captain gave an embarrassed chuckle in response.

"Well, about that… I was actually thinking we could make another trip to East Blue." He began, but as soon he mentioned the name of that part of the sea a collective groan arose from a few of his shipmates that had either just woken up or had been sat around on deck for a while.

" _What?_ " He asked defensively.

"Fusha Village, again?" Beckman chuckled as he lit a cigarette. "You're starting to become predictable, Shanks."

"Hey in my defense it _has_ been five years since I've even set foot on that island, so you guys should cut me some slack." Shanks shot back, light-heartedly elbowing his first mate in the side. "Besides, do you have a better suggestion? Because I'm all ears."

"Nah, not really, I'm just saying I could have easily guessed you'd say that." Beckman replied, breathing out a cloud of smoke. "I'm happy to go back to Dawn Island again, the place was pretty homey, and it does give us a break from the constant fighting I guess."

"Then it's settled, let's set our course now." Yasopp replied, also a little groggy from the night before. "We can't keep our lovesick Captain waiting, can we?"

 _'At night, when the bars close down, Brandy walks through a silent town.  
She loves a man who's not around, she still can hear him say;'_

A few uneventful days had passed, and now the sun was beginning to set as Makino and Ace were sat in the bar after finishing the shift.

She had completed the usual task of cleaning up and was just about the close the curtains when she saw a ship pulling into the dock. A ship that at first glance looked more than a little familiar, and when she realised what exactly it was she was seeing she stopped what she was doing, a quiet gasp escaping her lips.

It was the Red Force.

"Mum? What's wrong?" Ace asked, looking up from the piece of paper that he was currently doodling on.

"N-Nothing sweetie…" She replied in a shaken voice, barely able to believe what she was seeing. Was Shanks _really_ there?

As she continued to watch the ship, Ace got up and stood beside her, dragging a chair across the room so he could see out of the window as well.

As he did, he caught a glimpse of the red haired pirate, and he instantly recognised the face that he had seen so many times in newspapers and on wanted posters, but never in person.

"That's…"

"Your father, yes…" Makino whispered, barely able to control her voice.

As she continued to watch in disbelief, Ace suddenly jumped down of the chair and ran over to the door.

"Ace, what are you-" She began to ask, but he interrupted her.

"Come on Mum! What are you waiting for? Let's go see him…"

She could almost see the excitement radiating from the small boy, and she smiled as she walked over, taking her son's hand in hers before opening the door.

And as she did so, her eyes met with those of her lover's.

Shanks stopped in his tracks, a blush spreading across his face and his mouth tilting into a crooked smile.

"Hey Makino, it's been a while huh?"

She didn't hesitate as she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around the pirate's neck, holding onto him tightly, and Shanks' smile grew into a full blown grin as he wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her softly.

"I'm sorry I was away for so long, I-" He began, but he stopped when he saw the young boy in the doorway.

"This is Ace… He's, he's your son…" Makino stated upon noticing that Shanks had seen him. She suddenly felt both nervous and guilty for keeping it from him all this time.

"I… Have a son..?" Shanks breathed, barely able to comprehend what she was saying.

As he looked at the boy he realised that he shared many of the same features, and he felt a wave of emotion flow over him as it suddenly dawned upon him. _He had a son_.

"Uh huh…" Makino replied, and Shanks gently kissed her one last time before letting go of her and turning towards Ace.

He knelt down and opened up his arms to the young boy, not bothering to hide the tears that began overflowing from his eyes and proceeded to run down his cheeks.

"It's good to meet you, Ace… Thank you for looking after your Mother for me while I was away…"

"Dad…" Ace whimpered as he ran up to him, and Shanks didn't hesitate as he pulled the boy in to a protective embrace. "You're really here…"

"I am… And I'm sorry I took so long to come back…" Shanks apologised. He had wanted to see Makino for so long, but he had never imagined that he had a child. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

 _'She hears him say; "Brandy, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be.  
But my life, my love and my lady, is the sea."…'_

The crew had decided to give the two of them some space, so while the Red-Haired pirates unloaded the ship, Shanks and Makino, along with their son, went inside the bar.

"Would you like something to drink?" Makino asked Shanks as he sat down at the table, and he nodded.

"I'd love one, thanks!" He replied cheerfully as he lifted Ace onto his lap, and as Makino made her way behind the bar he turned his attention to his son.

He didn't know what to say to the him first; he had so many questions for the boy, and so much lost time to make up for.

"So, little man, what is it you like to do around here?" He asked, feeling an arm wrap around him as Makino returned. She hugged him with one arm as she placed the bottle of sake on the table and Ace paused for a minute, before passing him a book.

Shanks took a swig from the bottle before looking down at the book curiously. He opened it up, finding a few doodles on a double page spread.

"I… I like art…" Ace mumbled quietly. "And I like helping mum in the bar. She lets me help her make the drinks sometimes."

"Oh wow, these are amazing!" Shanks uttered enthusiastically as he continued to flick through the paper, but stopped when he came across one particular drawing.

There was a brightly coloured picture of pirate ship, and on this ship was a one-armed pirate with red hair and three lines over his left eye. And holding onto his hand was a young boy with the same vibrant red locks.

A smile spread across Makino's face as she saw what Shanks was looking at, and she gently stroked his shoulder as she began to speak.

"He's always loved all of the stories about your adventures, y'know…" She stated, and Shanks reached up, placing a hand on top of hers.

He could feel himself welling up again, and he coughed to clear his throat.

"Hey Ace, would you like me to tell you some more?" He asked, and the boy's face lit up with excitement as he nodded enthusiastically.

"Uh huh! I'd really like that, Dad!"

Shanks beamed happily as he lifted him up, and Makino smiled proudly as she watched the two of them.

It made her so happy seeing the two of them finally bonding; this was something she had longed for since the day that Ace was born, and she still couldn't quite believe it was really happening.

As Shanks went upstairs to get Ace ready for bed, Makino began to tidy up downstairs. She cleared away the last remaining glasses and put a cork in the bottle of sake that Shanks had started drinking.

The place felt a lot homier now, and there was a new air around the place; an air of excitement and liveliness.

Once Makino had finished cleaning up, she began to make her way to bed, but as she walked past her son's room she couldn't help but stop and listen in.

"-and that's how I met him."

"You really met _the_ Whitebeard? Wow… That's so cool…" Ace gasped in wonder, and Shanks chuckled.

"Yep."

"And was he as big and as powerful as they say?"

"Even more so." Shanks confirmed.

Makino smiled as she listened, and then continued to make her way to her room further down the hall.

She walked inside and gave a quiet sigh before taking off her barmaid uniform and folding it into a neat pile.

Just as she slipped on her nightdress, she felt an arm wrap around her waist, and a shiver travelled down her spine as a gentle kiss caressed the back of her neck.

"Shanks…" She whispered as she leaned back into his embrace.

"Ace's asleep… I thought you might want some company." He replied, not letting go of his lover.

"you guessed correctly." She replied with a blush, and turned around, kissing him softly.

 _'He said; "Brandy, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be.  
But my life, my love and my lady, is the sea."…'_

The two climbed into bed together, and Shanks didn't hesitate as he pulled her close.

"I missed you…" He muttered, and Makino's blush deepened.

"I missed you too… I'm so glad you came back." She whispered in response, nuzzling into his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She didn't want to ask him how long it would be for. She knew that he wouldn't be able to stay with her here forever, and she knew that losing him again so soon would hurt, possibly even more this time around.

Shanks noticed from the sudden change in her body language that something was on her mind, and he gently brushed her cheek with his thumb.

"What's wrong?"

She paused for a minute, then shook her head.

"It's nothing… I just…" She began, but she trailed off, going silent again.

"Just what?" He insisted, holding onto her supportively.

"You're going to leave again, aren't you…?"

Shanks felt a twinge in his chest as she spoke. He had known it was coming, but he hadn't wanted to think about that either, because although he had already made up his mind, that decision was harder than ever now.

Now that he knew he was leaving both his partner and his child behind.

"I'm sorry…" He apologised, the ache in his chest becoming more pronounced. "Makino, I-"

"Don't be… We're just glad we got to see you…" She replied, fighting back the tears. "It was Ace's dream to meet you one day… And I always hoped I'd get to see you again, so that I could tell you that…" She paused for a minute, letting out a shaky sigh before continuing. "That I really do love you."

Shanks let his lips brush against her forehead before he hugged her tightly.

"I love you too. I've never stopped thinking about you, not for one minute." He admitted, and then tilted her chin up, so that they were both looking into one another's eyes.

"Hey, I will come back… I promise." He vowed, gently kissing her hand.

"I know…" She breathed, a sad smile appearing on her face. "And we'll wait for you."


End file.
